What's with people today?

[PianoBlack]

I don’t understand what is going on in the world today. I am deeply confused about the American people’s state of mind. I sit back and watch as people remain completely ignorant to the world around them. In class a few weeks ago with my professor, another DU member, and I watched as a student freaked out while we were discussing politics. We were talking about how the government is involved with illegal phone taps and how Guantanamo bay has people from all over the world held in captivity without trial and he refused to believe it…calling us ‘crazy’.

I couldn’t figure out why people were so blind to the world around them! I was watching the news with my roommates when I realized the reason. The news about the UN speeches came and went an arson fire at a local playground, a murder…and then news about J-low having a big announcement. I was upset and spoke up.

“Why do they put this crap on TV? I don’t care what J-low has to say! What about Darfur? What about Iran? What about Korea? What about all the things going on in the world that are REALLY important?”

Then, one of my roommates made a very good point. He said to me:

“Well they have to do something. If people just focus on the negative things they get all depressed. To be honest, I was getting depressed for a while there. It’s always another rape, another murder, another arson fire, another person dieing. If they didn’t break this up, no one would watch the news.”

That’s the problem with the news today. It makes people feel helpless so they need to resort to filling our heads with bullshit! How about we dispel the myth in the media? Tell people how they can help! Send information about neighborhood watch groups, send information about demonstrations if you don’t agree with the government…or if you do agree with the government a place you can go and show your support! Or a place where you can find a list of senators’ e-mail addresses or phone numbers so you can get a hold of them. There are a lot of things the media can do to help the public become more active…but they don’t.

Why? Because that’s empowering…and the government wouldn’t want that…now would they?

It hurts me to see my fellow brothers and sisters of all ages, sizes, race, beliefs, political agendas (or lack there of) to be devoid of political knowledge. Knowledge that whether or not they believe it affects them! It affects them every day and they ignore it because they don’t know how they can help. And when you tell them they deny that anything can be done. The system has shaped us (or tried at least) to turn us into a country of cynical people who don’t believe they can make a difference. Every day I try and tell people that they can help make a difference but now eve I am losing sight of the fact that I can help make a difference… to make a difference for them. I keep hoping that I can show them the truth but their eyes are shut. Their heads are underground. What can I do…what can we do…because if we want to really push forward and make a difference in the future we need to get the COUNTRY up and moving…at least then people wouldn’t let the government take things from us… then they can’t take away our rights, our land or our safety.

Anyone have any insight? Any ways we may be able to show people the light?